Obsession
by petthekat
Summary: Todd is issued a babysitter by the sitter due to parental neglect . All is well until Nny becomes involved and the two find themselves acutely focused on each other. Sequel - Subliminal.
1. Meetings, Umbrellas and Contemplations

Author's Note: This story, though a product of my own, uses the characters made and owned by Jhonen Vasquez.

Summary: Nny's next-door-neighbor Todd is assigned a baby-sitter by the city council after the discovery of his neglectful parents, and she and Nny become acutely focused on each other.

**Revised! **I took out all of the spelling and typographical errors, extended a few key scenes, put the first two chapters together and even changed the ending (only a little!). Hope you enjoy!

It was a rather dreary neighborhood. There weren't a lot of flowers, nor was there that oh so cheery mail man prancing about from house to house, delivering the mail day by day, as he smiled happily at the neighbors.

As a matter of fact, there didn't appear to be any mailboxes at all, and there were definitely no, no mail men.

This could have, of course, had something to do with one of the residents in the town. A particularly odd young man living in a particularly odd house, with the suspicious triple 7 nailed into the wall beside the door, one of which was only slightly crooked. Yes, that could have been it. But of course, she didn't know that.

She also did not know that the rather disturbing sounds coming from the odd looking house, in the odd looking neighborhood with no flowers, was not a television as she had initially thought. It wasn't a television, radio, or the sounds of someone's imagination running wild. Oh, sure. Something was running wild. But it was hardly what anyone would call 'imaginary'.

No, the neighborhood was very real. Real as the boots that stepped on the pavement, beside dead grass, and over an unkempt lawn. It was as real as the the slightly dusty curtains that were drawn tightly shut over the front window. And unfortunately, it was as real as the woman who opened the front door a moment later.

No, not to the house with the foreboding triple 7, but to the house next to it, which hardly looked any more inviting.

Kathryn took a deep breath and smiled, holding out her hand. "Hello. My name is Kathryn. I'm the baby-sitter.." A blank stare for her trouble. Kathryn cleared her throat. "The one that was assigned to Todd by the, erm, city council." The woman looked Kathryn up and down, examining her long and thoroughly, as if debating whether or not she deserved to come into her.. humble abode. What the woman saw before her was nothing significant- A thin, pale girl with thick dark red hair and green eyes, wrapped in a long tan coat over a full cream sweater. Her hair held a slight curl at the bottom, where it was parallel to each side against the front of her jacket.

'Honestly..' Kathryn thought, as she waited for the woman to speak. ' What the hell kind of neighborhood was this? I feel like I'm in a Stephen King film.' Finally, the woman spoke.

"Come on. The kid's somewhere around here.. In his room, probably." Kathryn smiled a bit and nodded, stepping inside. She glanced around, inwardly groaning. "Erm, alright. So, when will you be back? Does Todd have any allergies?" The woman shrugged on a leopard skin coat, as a rather scruffy looking man appeared behind her and doused a cigarette on the couch arm.

"How the hell should we know? Just keep him from the stove. That's the whole reason the little brat has to be watched. Nearly burnt down the whole fucking house last week while my wife and I were out.. with friends." He said, opening the door. Kathryn nodded. "Um, yes sir. I promise, Todd will be kept safe and-"

The door slammed, Kathryn's body slumping.

"Happy." She finished, before rolling her eyes and shrugging off her coat. She searched throughout the living room for a spot to put it, before sighing and opting for a random nail hanging out of the wall. "Erm.. Todd?" She called down the hallway. "Todd? It's Kathryn.. I'm your new baby-sitter. Todd?" She called again, going slowly down the dark hallway. She shivered; damn, this house was drafty.

"Todd? Todd, where are-"

A little shriek made Kathryn jump, and quite suddenly a little boy clutching a disgusting looking teddy bear appeared, his huge eyes wide.

"Squee." He said, his eyes watering. This woman was here to kidnap him. He was going to die. It's all a cruel end!

Kathryn blinked and shook her head. "Hello there..,I'm Kathryn. I'm going to take care of you.." She said gently, as the little boy eyed her suspiciously. He rather resembled a big-headed kitten caught in a lion's den. The boy turned away and whispered hurriedly- To who?- before turning back around.

"Schmee says.. not to trust you. You're bad." Kathryn folded her arms. "And who exactly is Schmee, hm?" She asked warily. Todd pushed forward the decrepit bear. "Schmee!" Kathryn smiled a bit, moving to be eye level with Todd. "I'm not bad, Todd. Really. I just want to take care of you while your parents are gone." Todd glanced at his bear. "But.. Schmee.." Kathryn shook her head. "Nope. Schmee's wrong. Kathryn is good." Todd bit his lip. "Well.. okay.." He gave a teeny smile, and Kathryn relaxed. At least the kid wasn't a freak.

xxx

"And then the rabbit said, 'I'm not preparing for winter now! We have plenty of time.' And so the lazy rabbit-"

A shrill scream. Kathryn winced, but Todd didn't speak. He snuggled further into his bed though, and clutched Schmee. Kathryn took a deep breath and went on, moving closer to the lamp light to continue the story.

"And so the lazy rabbit sat around, while the ant worked. The ant worked and worked, and said to the lazy rabbit-"

Creak. Crash! Bam. Rattle.

Kathryn tossed down the book. "That is so rude! What in the world is wrong with your neighbor? He's got the television turned up so loud I feel like we're in a horror movie!"

"Squee." Todd said, glancing towards his window. Kathryn shook her head, preparing to read again, but another sound caused her to jump. This time, the sound wasn't coming from next door - not from the eerie house just a few feet away. It was downstairs.

Todd gave his characteristic squeal. "Schmee!" He clutched the bear tightly to him. Kathryn put down the book slowly and stood. "Stay in here, Todd." She said, and cautiously peeked down the hall. What in the hell.. Kathryn's green eyes narrowed. There was someone else in the house.. And it was only nine o clock. She seriously doubted Todd's parents, who could have possibly been the shittiest pair of parents she'd ever seen, were back this early. And so she reasoned that it must be a burglar. Edging to the end of the hall, she grabbed the first object that met her fingertips- a large, gaudy, bright yellow umbrella.

Kathryn stared at it, rolling her eyes, before holding it up high. A shadow! And an odd one at that.. So long and thin, like a skeleton. But no.. It was a burglar.. Yes, that had to be it. Kathryn tensed, clutching the umbrella, god-awfully ugly as it was.

Rustle. Rustle. Step. Mutter.

Suddenly, the shadow disappeared, and it became a person.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Kathryn brought the umbrella over the head of the intruder with a crack, as another scream rang out.

Kathryn's wide eyes peered down at the fallen body. It was a male.. And a young one at that. But before she could discover any more information, the figure jumped up and slammed her against the wall.

He could barely be seen in the shadows of the hallway, but Kathryn could tell he'd picked up the umbrella.

"WHATTHEFUCKISWITHTHEFUCKINGUMBRELLAIJUST CAMELOOKINGFORSOMETHINGISWEARYOURALLFUCK INGSTUPIDWITHTHEFUCKINGUMBRELLADOYOUHAVE APROBLEMWITHTHEFUCKINGUMBRELLA!" The voice shouted- No, it shrieked- at Kathryn.

"I-I.." Kathryn struggled, realizing with horror that her toes were a few inches off the ground. This person was obviously, obviously, a maniac.

"Johnny!" Came Todd's voice suddenly, as he waddled down the hallway. The figure's demeanor suddenly changed, and he dropped Kathryn to the ground, still holding the umbrella. "Squee!"

The voice, still strangely high pitched, said. "There is a woman in your house." He said after a pause. Todd nodded, shuffling a bit closer "She's my.. baby-sitter." Todd swallowed. And the figure, Johnny by name, Johnny the Homicidal Maniac by trade, rose a brow.

"Then why the fuck did she hit me with the fucking umbrella! All I needed was-" And he whipped up one of his thin arms, stepping back into the living room light so that Kathryn could see.

"This." A spoon. He was holding a spoon. Kathryn stared at him.

"You broke into a little boy's house to steal a spoon?"

"IFUCKINGNEEDEDTHESPOONOKAY!" Johnny shrieked suddenly, before calming again so suddenly that Kathryn had to blink away a bout of vertigo. "Right.. So, you needed the spoon and you came into your neighbor's house, to steal it.. And then got mad because I hit you with an umbrella?"

Johnny's right eye twitched. "Would you want to be hit with an umbrella..?" He asked very slowly.

Kathryn swallowed and shook her head. "No." She said a bit uncertainly. Todd looked up at Johnny, and the taller man who could have been in his early twenties, looked down at him. He had an almost eerie affection for the boy, Kathryn could tell. Geez. No wonder this kid was so emotionally disturbed.

Todd stood on his tiptoes and whispered something to Johnny, who then looked up to Kathryn, folding his arms over his far-to-thin chest. "Hm. Squee likes you."

Kathryn blinked. "Squee?" She questioned. Johnny paused, before snatching the umbrella and slamming it into the ground. The boy jumped and squeaked, and Johnny waved his hand for emphasis.

"Squee." He repeated, as though he were talking to someone very stupid.

Kathryn folded her arms as well. "That's .. odd. Are you the one who's making all of those noises with the television?" She tilted her head a bit at this.. Johnny fellow. He was strangely thin, like he might be anorexic. He had oddly cut black hair that flopped in front of his eyes every so often, doing nothing to downplay the rather disturbing twinkle in his eyes.

Johnny leaned on the bent umbrella, folding his legs at the ankle. "Yes." He said after a thought. "I am causing the noises." Kathryn rose a brow. "Well, could you please stop it? Todd has bed now and.. now that you're done stealing his spoon, you can go home." Johnny straightened and jammed the umbrella into the wall just above Kathryn's shoulder so quickly that she barely had time to make a noise.

Johnny grinned, his fingers twitching as he let go of the jammed umbrella.

"I can't." He said, his grin suddenly fading. "I can't. I wish I could. Really."

Kathryn frowned. "What are you talking about? You're very strange.. Johnny." She said quietly, studying him closer. Johnny suddenly seemed uncomfortable at her studying, and backed towards the door slowly, spoon in hand.

"You have no idea.. You have no idea.." He looked to Todd. "Squee." He said, before suddenly disappearing out of the door, and into the dark night.

Todd sighed, tugging on Schmee's arm. "Be quiet, Schmee. Nny won't kill us for his wall. He only does that to _bad_ people.." The little boy said to his bear, before slowly making his way back to his room.

xxx

'Anddd back to tonight's ultra-spooky program: In SEARCH Of.. Here! On the Sci Fi channel. UFO's! Do they exist? A lonely elderly couple up in the mountains of God only knows where have actual proof that they do! We now investigate..'

"Fools."

Johnny munched on some stale chips, thin legs propped up on a box as he stared at his television set. "UFO's only come on Tuesdays." The infamous 'Nny' gave his television a kick, and it automatically changed channels. After a moment, however, a voice cut into the young man's psyche.

"What's wrong today, Nny? Something's bothering you. You aren't concentrating on the television."

Johnny ate another stale chip, remaining silent.

However, the voice pressed on.

"Nny?"

"What the fuck do you want!" Johnny shrieked, turning to face what appeared to be a very, very dead bunny impaled into his wall.

The bunny spoke.

"Johnny? Is something bothering you? Because you know what happens.. when you hold things inside.. If you'd only talk about it-" Nail Bunny began, as Johnny shoved several stale chips into his mouth so that he could avoid speaking- or choke and die, whichever was more accessible.

"Shut up!"

Johnny shrieked at the dead rabbit with the patience of Job. "Nothing is bothering me!" Johnny snatched for the remote, but an odd, short little Styrofoam figure beat him to it, settling back and turning the t.v. onto some foreign movie. He shrieked with laughter, kicking dough-like legs when bricks fell on some guy's head.

Johnny's right eye twitched. Psycho Dough Boy and Mr. Eff, the creatures of his imagination, were lurking around the living room. Mr. "Eff" was the one in control of the television at the moment, eyes poised on the screen, as D-Boy walked around the room, gathering nails in his short, chubby arms.

Johnny rose a brow. "What're you doing?" He asked, and Psycho D-boy sighed. "I'm finding nails.. to impale myself with. Do you want some?"

"Nails wouldn't be able to kill me." Johnny said, before pausing. "Or maybe they would. I should find out later, the next time I bring someone home." D-boy twitched, but continued on.

Nail Bunny sighed. "You can't die. You're not real."

"Shut up!" Mr. Eff shrieked, his hypnotic like eyes twitching madly. "We WILL live fully one day!"

"So we can die?" Psycho Dough Boy asked rather hopefully. Mr. Eff picked up a book on the table beside the couch and hurled it at Psycho Dough Boy. A shriek and thump later, the house fell silent, save for the gibbering of the television.

That afternoon, when Todd Casil returned home after another miserable day at school, Kathryn was already waiting inside, smiling as she looked up at Todd. The youth returned the smile, feeling a sigh of relief. Oh well. At least he had Kathryn- and Pepito, if you wanted to count the son of Satan and the bringer of the world's impending doom. He'd had another friend once- this little boy in his grade.. but he'd gotten eaten by some random dog in the neighborhood, and Todd was pretty sure there was nothing left to bury, so he didn't even have a grave to visit.

"Hey, kiddo. Your parents are gone again and they called me over. How was school?" She asked, as Todd lowered his little backpack onto the floor, Schmee's head sticking out of the back of it. "Fine.." He murmured, shuffling into the kitchen. Kathryn put a bowl of macaroni and cheese on the table. Todd happily scampered up into the chair and began eating, as Kathryn tugged a stray strand of hair in front of her face.

"Todd?"

"Hm?" The little boy ate another spoonful of hot macaroni.

"Tell me about your friend. Your neighbor.. Johnny."

Todd paused, before eating another spoonful, slowly. "What do you want to know..?" He asked after a moment. Kathryn paused, before placing her chin in her hands as her elbows sat poised on the table.

"Just about him." She said, and Todd glanced uncertainly at his backpack, where Schmee was. Finally, he said "Schmee doesn't like him. I do, at least I think so.. He can be scary some times. And weird noises come from his house.. He says he talks to people in his house, but I'm pretty sure no one else lives with him. And some times he talks about a wall.. but I'm not sure what that means." Todd paused and ate another spoonful of macaroni.

"Sometimes, he just screams for no reason, and runs around all the time. He usually comes in through my window to my room, looking for stuff.."

"Like a spoon?" Kathryn rose a brow. Todd blinked.

"Sometimes." He said, before continuing on. "He doesn't ever sleep." He said after a pause, eating the last of his meal.

"Ever?" Kathryn gave a little smile, tilting her head so that the strand of hair that was loose from her low ponytail touched the edge of the table. "Everyone sleeps at some point."

Todd shook his head. "No.. Mr. Neighbor man never sleeps.." He said, before getting up with his bowl and taking it to the sink, where he cleaned it out thoroughly and carefully. Kathryn watched him carefully, shaking her head. This poor boy.. forced to take care of himself by his ridiculous parents, and live next to a mad man. At least Johnny wasn't dangerous.. He was just a bit off.

"Oh, yeah."

Todd turned around to look at Kathryn, who paused as she was getting up.He put away his bowl and spoon and began to waddle out of the room.

"I almost forgot. He kills people."

Kathryn tripped over her chair.


	2. Common Ground

There were a lot of things that Kathryn, Todd's babysitter for two weeks now, could not do. One of these was knit. Really, her grandmother had tried to teach her a few years ago and all she'd gotten for it was a bloody finger and new vocabulary of four letter words. Another one of these was sing, which was sadly what she was trying to do at the moment. It was a pitiful and somewhat grotesque attempt, but it seemed to be serving its purpose anyway.

It was a particularly stormy night in the peculiar town in which she baby-sat (for she attended a college in the next town over), and Kathryn was trying valiantly to comfort a crying Todd. What a frightened kid, she thought tiredly as she continued to sing to the dark-haired little boy. He was clinging to that creepy teddy bear of his. 'If I ever wake up and that thing is on my chest staring at me, I'm putting a damn bullet through it,' She thought warily as Todd snuggled the animal further. He finally seemed to become comforted by Kathryn's voice, but no sooner had he begun to relax that another voice entered the whispers between the two.

"You really have a terrible voice."

Kathryn blinked and glanced up, narrowing her eyes at the suddenly manifested figure of Johnny.

This was the third time that week that he'd come over to the house - that she knew of - which was scary as hell to think about. Todd opened an eye and looked at Johnny, offering a tiny, shaky smile. "She was singing to me, Nny. No one's ever sang to me before.. Well, except for Schm - "

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. She still can't sing."

Johnny arched a think black brow and Kathryn exhaled irritably. The lanky young man was wearing a shirt with the words 'I eat food' on it and black pants that had suspicious stains on them, especially around the ankles. Standing, the redhead reached over and turned off Todd's light. "It's time for Todd to sleep." She said pointedly, eyeing the slightly taller figure. Nny twitched. "What the fuck? Sleeping is a waste of time! Wastewastewastewastewaste! Do you know what's on television right now?! MYSTERIOUS MYSTERIES!" He shrieked, following Kathryn out of the bedroom. Kathryn shut it behind her and ignored Johnny, who continued to follow her.

"And why the fuck are you HERE, anyway? I can take care of little Squee! I do it all the time! I'm thinking about killing his parents and making him into my little stooge, so he can take care of things after I finally die -" Johnny seemed to muse on this as he tapped his chin, and Kathryn shook his head.

"Do not corrupt that kid, Mister Johnny -"

"It's Nny. Mister Johnny was my father!" He grinned ferally. "And he's dead. Probably with Senior Diablo.." He said thoughtfully, and Kathryn's blank stare caused him to digress and disappear into the kitchen.

"How the hell did I get tricked into baby-sitting TWO kids?" She asked herself as she picked up the dirty afghan on the floor and folded it, placing it on on a couch that was hardly any more clean than the damn floor.

"I am not a child, fuck it!"

Johnny was suddenly behind her and Kathryn fell over in surprise. Nny hit the ground on his knees, leaning over her in a position that must have been awfully uncomfortable.

"I'm probably older AND smarter than you are! Why the fuck are you patronizing me?!" He exclaimed, his eyes wide. Kathryn stared, her eyes wide. "Johnny! - I mean, Nny, I'm sorry. Look, I need to take care of Sque - I mean Todd!" She said, holding up her hands and lightly touching his bone-thin shoulders. "I don't meant to patronize you, Nny, really. I'm just .. I'm just tired from school today, alright?"

Her heart thudded against her chest. This man could turn from talking seriously to someone to a murderous rage in an instant! It was like dealing with .. A maniac. Yes, certainly a good choice of words there. Kathryn shifted out from underneath Johnny very, very slowly, and Nny stood up and looked down at her as she sat rather awkwardly on the couch. He studied her for a minute, before disappearing and returning back to the living room with a jar of peanut butter and a spoon. He dug the spoon into the peanut butter and shoved the spoon on his mouth.

"Why was your day bad?" He asked suddenly, looking at her as if trying to determined whether she was speaking the truth. Kathryn, shaking off the last of her sudden tremors, swallowed and shook her head. "Nothing..", she murmured. "Just people. They're stupid."

Johnny tilted his head.

"I agree.." He said slowly. "Go on."

Kathryn glanced back, staring at him for a moment before answering. "Yeah, well.." It was so strange, to think she was actually revealing something about her life - her life outside of this monstrosity of a home - to a deranged man from next door who liked to break into her charge's house and steal spoons (or peanut butter). She began again. "Well, see, I was late for Chemistry this morning and by the time I got there, there was only one guy without a partner and he was such an asshole. You know, one of those people who is under the impression that they're higher up in the world than they actually are, and they just bull shit their way through life to make themselves feel better about their total and complete worthlessness." She said, shaking her head. "He ruined our experiment, which I also failed because of his stupidity, and then he tried to ask me on a date afterwards, to which I replied I would rather shove a gas pump up my ass and light myself on fire."

…

…

…

Johnny pulled out a notepad and quickly scribbled the words 'Gas pump - Fire' before shoving it back into his backpocket and eating some more peanut butter.

"That's terrible. You should have actually done it." He said with a confident nod. Kathryn blushed a bit. She hadn't mean to say quite that much - but it seemed to please Johnny, who was now musing over unknown things while chewing on the spoon and licking the last of the peanut butter away. Shaking her head and deciding that only this man, Nny, would appreciate her unhealthy dose of cynicism, she began cleaning the kitchen.

"Kathryn?"

The redhead blinked and turned around slowly. That was the first time Nny had said her name - or even acknowledged her specifically.

"Yes?"

Nny put the spoon in the sink and the peanut butter in the freezer. "Where does this young man live? The one who was your partner?"

"Smith Hall at UMC. You know, in Star City." She said, furrowing her brows. "Why?" But Nny never answered. He was gone, disappearing into darkness out of the living room window.


	3. Christmas

".. nineteen year old found desecrated in the university's math building parking lot .."

"Oh, Todd. Turn that off. The news is so depressing now a days." Kathryn said as she came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dishtowel - which she'd brought from home.

Honestly, she could live out of a cardboard box and keep better house than these people. The dark-haired boy nodded in compliance and reached up, switching off the television with a click and hurrying over to Kathryn to jump into her arms. A smile touched her lips. Even as much as she hated coming to this house, this neighborhood, she really did love Todd. He was intelligent and sweet, if not terrified for his life on a daily basis.

Taking Todd into his bedroom, she tucked the boy into the bed covers and smoothed his hair back from his face. She hummed softly as he nuzzled into his pillow, staring up at her with the largest eyes she'd ever seen. "Miss Kathryn?" He asked suddenly. She'd asked him to call her 'Kat' a thousand and one times now, but she simply tilted her head in response.

Todd chewed on his lip. "Will you be around .. Forever?" He asked, and the nineteen year old started in surprise. "Well.." She began, chewing on her own lip. "No. But I'll be around for a long time, if you want me to." She said gently. "You won't need me after a while, Todd. Before you know it, you'll be grown up and having a job and a family. You'll forget all about me."

Todd stared at her, before turning on his side, his back facing her.

"That's what my mommy and daddy does.." He whispered, before closing his eyes.

Kathryn frowned, sighing a bit and standing. She was not in an emotionally balanced state to take on the case of a clinically depressed seven year old. Hell, she was barely stable enough to handle herself. Todd's parents came home an hour later, from God only knows where, and by this time it had started to pour rain again. It was like a constant hell in this town, Kathryn thought bitterly as she pulled her long jacket around her tightly. She had no hood or umbrella, so she braved it as she stepped out onto the dark concrete. She was dressed much more casually today, it having been an off day of school. Her hair was in a messy ponytail and she wore a red t-shirt with black writing, stating the official motto of the literary society at her school. Sure, she was a nerd, but who did she hurt by being so? No one, that was who.

Only her social life. And that hardly mattered.

Lightning crashed overhead and Kathryn glanced up, narrowing her eyes in speculation at a silhouette at the window of the house next door. It was Johnny - Nny - she was certain.

Only he had that deathly thin body and oddly cut black hair. He was watching her, silently, from the window that looked like it might be in an attic. Kathryn looked back down at the sidewalk, glancing over as she passed the posterior of the house. She paused, just for a moment. And it might have been the light playing tricks on her eyes, or her mind toying with her in the distressed weather, but it seemed very much to her that there were long, finger-like marks in the grass and mud, like a flailing and fighting body had been dragged there. Kathryn rose a brow, then turned and continued swiftly down the sidewalk, disappearing around the corner.

It was a strange and unusual place, this neighborhood.

Xx

It was Christmas.

Ah, yes. That blessed day on which families come together, presents are exchanged, and loving embraces are shared. That is, in most places, most towns, most lives.

Not, that is to say, in Todd's life and certainly not in Johnny's.

Kathryn was determined to change that. She sacrificed her own going home - for her parents would do nothing but ask her about her grades, about school, and about why she didn't have a boyfriend - and stayed in town for the two week winter break. She rented a room at a little inn on the other, less creepy side of town and visited Todd on Christmas morning. When she arrived, meaning simply to give Todd a present and wish him Merry Christmas, his parents took this to mean that she would baby-sit their son - and left.

God only knows to where.

Kathryn stepped inside, glancing around at the complete lack of decorations or presents, and spotted Todd in his footed pajamas, holding Schmee.

"Whassat?" He asked, indicating to the four presents in Kathryn's full grasp. She smiled and set them in the middle of the floor. "Presents, of course. And one of them is for Johnny. Do you think he'd like to come over and open them with us?" Todd seemed to contemplate this, before walking to the side window and opening it. He called for Nny, who, after several moments, appeared by his own window.

"Yeeeess?" He asked, arching a brow questioningly.

"Miss Kathryn has gots us some presents!" He cried, and Johnny looked positively astonished. Then, he immediately became suspicious. It took a bit more coaxing before he finally came over.

"What're these?"

Kathryn sighed. "Presents. Haven't either of you ever had Christmas before?" She asked exasperatedly. The pair of blank gazes told her that was most likely a no. She pulled over her purse and pulled out a rubber ware box of sugar cookies.

"Here, I bought these -"

"Oh, cookies!" Johnny squealed, snatching the box, just as Kathryn snatched it back. "Share!" She admonished, and Johnny glared at her. Kathryn tried not to flinch, and forced a smile onto her face. "It's nice to share. Now share with Todd, please." She said, setting it down again. Johnny snatched up the box, grabbed a cookie, shoved it in his mouth and then offered the rest to Todd, who took one happily.

"Now, three of these presents are for Todd and one is for you, Johnny -"

"My fucking name is - Wait. A present? For me?"

Johnny tilted his head, poking a random box. "How come Squee gets three of them and I only get one?! WHAT THE HELL IS UP WITH THAT?!"

Kathryn calmly handed a small box to Todd. "Because he's a baby, that's why." She said, rolling her eyes. Johnny immediately silenced, stewing in his own morbid thoughts. "There." Kathryn said, looking as Todd opened his first present. It was a toy fire truck, and his face positively lit up. "Wow! A toy!" He hugged it to his chest and Johnny eyed it enviously.

"I want a toy.." He muttered, but Kathryn ignored his words, offering another cookie instead, which Johnny bit the head (of Santa Claus) off of viciously. Todd opened his other two gifts - a five pack of coloring books and a pack of 64 markers. Then Kathryn hesitantly handed Johnny the fourth and last gift, which he studied with ample suspicion before slowly opening.

Inside was a camera.

"I didn't know much about you.. But I figured you might like it. I mean, everyone loves pictures, right?" She asked, tilting her head. Johnny slowly brought the camera out of the box, studying it, before looking through the lens. It focused on Kathryn's face and he pulled back suddenly, blinking. Todd and Kathryn were both watching him closely, and he slowly pulled the camera to his thin chest.

"Yes. I like it, very good." He said, avoiding her gaze and looking at the camera from every angle again. Todd smiled, seeming happier than Kathryn had ever seen him. He even set Schmee aside and didn't talk to him all morning. Kathryn even had a good time, which was surprising. After they opened presents, the three of them sat around and watched television.

Like normal people.

How very odd and unusual for these three people - one a maniac, one a depressive child, and another a hopelessly lost college student with little to no direction in life.

She sat on one end of the couch, with Todd's head in her lap. Johnny sat at the other end, his knees pulled to his chest and the camera always in his hands.

Sometimes he would just look through it and look around, not taking pictures but simply watching, as if he was recording it and placing it deep in the recesses of his mind. Once, when Kathryn looked over at him and made eye contact through the lens, Johnny snapped a picture. Then he looked away, at the television, and said something about the destruction of human beings lying in the chicken factories of South Dakota.

Then he left.

It was another week before Kathryn came to Todd's house again, but when she did, she glanced up to and from the home, only to see Johnny watching her from his window. This time he had a camera, and he followed her with it. Even if she simply stepped outside, checking the weather or taking out the trash, Johnny was there, looking at her through the camera if not taking her picture.

Then school started again, Todd's mother fell sick and was forced to stay home, and Kathryn didn't come back for two weeks.


	4. The Past

"..Honestly, that Foreman girl - Pregnant, again! A whore, just like her mother. Pity it won't even be a cute child, what with a face like hers." Kathryn stared at the wall of her living room. It was a week after school had begun once more, and her mother had insisted she visit them in the absence of their Christmas holidays together. Listening to her mother gossip about the neighbors and scrutinize her daughter's love life was not a vapid form of entertainment. In fact, Kathryn felt very much like sliding down a hundred razorblades into a pool of salt and alcohol.

Kathryn came from an upper-middle class family - one of those that liked to pretend it had just a teeny bit more money than it actually did. Her mother was a gossip, a busybody, and an annoying bitch overall. Needless to say, their bonding time was limited for the sake of Kathryn's sanity.

She was the only surviving child of Anna and Martin - Her older sister, Elise, died in a car accident two years before. That was a particularly bad time, not because Kathryn missed her sister, but because Elise was the golden child of the family. She was everything Kathryn wasn't; Confident, strikingly beautiful, talented, and charismatic. She had their mother's chestnut hair and their father's startling blue eyes. She'd been Homecoming Queen, Prom Queen, Senior President, and nearly every other position that could be called relatively important by anyone with nothing better to focus their attention on. She'd never failed to impress people she met, Elise. Kathryn liked things the way they were, with Elise in the spotlight. Her sister's brilliance made it easier for her to fade into the background.

Then she died.

The bitch died, and now everything was penned on Kathryn, who was not charismatic or overly beautiful. She had no talents to speak of, except perhaps to write on the occasion. She had never been active in school extracurriculars, and she had never, ever been elected a Queen of any shape, form, or fashion.

"Well, Mom. I hate to cut this short, but I have some studying to do." Kathryn said, rising and pushing back her dark red hair. Unlike Elise, she had light freckles on pale skin, instead of flawless features and a natural tan. How they were even related remained an enigma to all. Kathryn often mused she had to be the "milkman's baby".

Then again, knowing her mother, it could be anyone.

Her mother stood and nodded, pausing in front of a mirror to fix her carefully coiffed hair. "Well, if you insist. Studying is important, of course. You are graduating the top of your class, I hope?"

Kathryn had been 36th out of 100 in her class. She was smart, but not especially driven. And with a class like Calculus, there was no way in hell she was in the top of her class. However, she smiled, gave what could be considered a faint nod, and then bade her mother good-bye.

xx

It wasn't until the next day that Kathryn saw Todd again. She wouldn't admit to herself that, secretly, she looked forward to her baby-sitting job a bit more now that she had spent time with Johnny. If she didn't see him while over at the boy's house, she felt a bit put out. She'd never mention it to Todd, of course, or Johnny. It was a stupid, desperate desire anyhow. Kathryn walked up the sidewalk towards Todd's house, shoving her car keys in her purse as she spared a glance over at Johnny's house. She stopped quite suddenly, her eyes narrowing at the ground.

Was that.. blood? On the grass?

Turning this way and that to glance about, she stepped off the sidewalk and into Johnny's yard. Kneeling down to the stained grass, she let a fingertip slide across the blades. A glance at her fingers made her stomach churn. It was blood. A ton of it. She straightened, craning her neck to see where it led. Slowly, she made her way in between the houses, before coming to Johnny's backyard. Cellar doors? There. There was where the blood stopped, and hand prints of the same liquid covered the wooden doors. Her heart thudded in her chest. What the hell was this? Was he hunting? He hadn't seemed like much of a hunting type of guy.

Her hand reached out and fingers wrapped around the cold metal of the doors, but just before she lifted them, hands suddenly snatched her from behind and shoved her roughly into the wall.

"What..The..Hell...Are...You...Doing...?"

The voice that crawled from between tightly clenched teeth was an easily recognizable one.

"I-I'm sorry! Johnny, it's just me! Kat!" She said, her chest tight. She was no less than a quarter of an inch from Johnny's face, and he had a trickle of crimson liquid coming from his temple. "Are you alright?" She asked, before she could stop and remind herself that this insane man had her pinned to his wall, which was very near a pool of blood.

Johnny dropped her suddenly and touched his temple, looking at her oddly. He was dressed in a black shirt, form-fitting to his stick thin torso, with a black and white stripped long-sleeve shirt underneath. The pants he wore seemed to be weighed down in the pockets with something. He stared at her, one eyebrow raised so very high it looked deformed in its acuity.

"I'm fucking fine. Why the hell are you sneaking around my God damn house? This is my house! Not yours! Not Squee's! MY. HOUSE."

Kathryn drew in a breath and stepped away from the wall.

"I'm sorry! I thought you might be hurt. I saw blood and - "

"You didn't see anything!" He shrieked, coming closer again. Kathryn held up her hands. "What the hell are you talking about, Johnny? I was just - "

"YOU DIDN'T FUCKING SEE ANYTHING! NOTHING! GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

"But I'm not in - "

"FUCKING GO! FUCKING GO OR I'LL KILL YOU!" He screamed, suddenly picking up a small ax she hadn't noticed before and hurling it at her. It spun several times and then became one with the siding of his house - It had missed Kathryn's head by an inch or two.

"Oh, God." Kathryn turned tail and ran, as fast as her feet would carry her, all the way back to her car. She'd have to apologize to Todd later. Hopefully his parents wouldn't leave him alone. She wouldn't remain here a moment longer.

xx

Kathryn stayed in her dorm, missing classes, for an entire day. So Johnny really was crazy? What made him crazy? Did he really kill people? Well, that blood certainly didn't come from nowhere. What.. What the hell was wrong with him? Would he have really killed her? Judging from the wildly thrown ax and the unadulterated look of hate in his eyes, it seemed likely. Kathryn covered her face with her hands, breathing heavily as she stared out her window. God.

It poured down rain that night. Kathryn laid in her bed, staring at the ceiling for what seemed to be the longest time. Her roommate, a girl she barely knew or liked, was out partying. Or having sex. Or doing something that did not involve worrying for her life, her future, and - oh yes - her life.

She finally fell asleep.

For two hours.

Tap. Tap. Taptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptap.

"What in the fuck - " Kathryn picked up her head, which had been buried under her pillow, and looked to her window. Her eyes then took on the width of saucers as she saw a stick-thin, crouching, glowing eyed figure at her window.

Johnny suddenly pressed his face to the window, just as lightning cracked behind him. It was pouring down rain.

"Open the god damn window! It's fucking wet out here!"

Kathryn stared, slack-jawed, before slowly pulling herself out of bed and opening the window. Yes, you read right. She opened the window to a maniac who threw an ax at her head and who lives in a house with blood for lawn decor. He probably uses livers for sugar dishes, too.

Johnny jumped in, shut the window behind him, and shook his head like a dog.

"Whoo! Fuckin' raining out there." He said, dusting himself off even though he was soaking wet and still with blood on his cheek. It was mixed with dirt and God only knows what else.

Kathryn continued to stare at him. She had her hair pulled up into a messy, half-tilted ponytail, and was donned in only a spaghetti strap shirt and pajama shorts. At least she'd worn pajamas that night. Normally she slept in her underwear.

Johnny glanced at her, as if he could assume, perhaps, why she was so surprised to see him. He looked away, studying her room instead. Her side was full of books, movies, a laptop, and a television on a small shelf. The other side was relatively.. pink. There was also a lampshade with rainbows and sunflowers on it.

Johnny picked up the lamp slowly, looking to Kathryn, who had finally shut her mouth.

"Yours?" He asked.

Kathryn blinked, then shook her head. "Good!" He cried, drop-kicking it into the wall and listening to the satisfying sound of it's crunch. "Fuck.." Kathryn put a hand to her face. "Johnny.. What are you doing here? It's the middle of the night, it's raining, and you tried to kill me earlier!"

Johnny jumped onto her bed, studied a book, and then stood up again quickly. He moved like a bird, randomly and with terrifying speed.

"No. Nononononono. If I had wanted to kill you - " He pointed a long finger at her. "You'd be dead. Actually, I came to apologize. Yes, that's it." He said, giving a grin. Kathryn tilted her head, and Johnny continued.

"You see, I was feeling rather.. stressed. Lots of things to do, you know, things and things and the doing of them.. " He muttered, inspecting another book and then a movie. "But what you saw wasn't blood. Not at all. It was paint." He said, looking directly at her. Kathryn thought about the liquid that had been on her fingers, and she knew it hadn't been paint. However, she nodded.

"Oh. Well, that makes sense. Painting your house, then?" She asked, sitting back on her bed. Johnny nodded. "Yes. One room, inside. Special room. So I had to have paint. I spilled it. The end. No blood. Red paint."

Kathryn nodded.

"Well, Johnny. Thank you for .. apologizing. In the middle of the night. In my room." She said, her bitter tone obviously escaping the young man. He watched her carefully. "Why does it matter? Do you sleep a lot?"

"At one in the morning? Yes, that is generally a time in which you sleep." She said, eyeing him. "What, do you not sleep?"

Johnny shook his head. "No. No, I don't. I can't. Impossible." He said, glancing at her mirror and picking up a tube of red lipstick from one side. He drew a 'Z' and then a question mark. Kathryn suddenly appeared beside him, and he glanced at her reflection. She watched him through the mirror.

"What does that mean?" She asked quietly. Johnny seemed to contemplate this.

"Not sleeping. Insomnia. Not sleeping." He said calmly, setting the tube aside. Kathryn put the lipstick in a drawer so Johnny wouldn't draw on anything. She didn't believe he never, ever slept. After all, humans had to sleep at some point, didn't they? Maybe he should start taking medicine, she thought.

Johnny began talking to her pillow.

A lot of medicine, she decided.

"Hey, um. I'm kind of tired and I have class tomorrow, so.. Can I go back to bed, now?" She asked, and Johnny perked up, then frowned.

"Fine. Go sleep. Waste your time. Mysterious Mysteries is on, you know." Kathryn smirked a little. "Then go home and watch it."

Johnny sighed heavily. "I can't. I threw something into my television. It doesn't work. I need another."

Kathryn glanced at the small television across from her bed. Knowing that, somehow, she would regret this, Kathryn picked up her remote and turned on the television. After turning the volume down relatively low, she put it on channel 35 - And the monotone voice of the Mysterious Mysteries show host floated through the room. "Here." She said, handing him the remote. Johnny's eyes were the widest she'd ever seen them. "Really? I can watch it here?" He asked carefully, and Kathryn nodded. "Just don't turn it up to loud, or write on the walls, or throw anything through it. I'm going to bed." She said, before literally falling into her bed and snuggling her face into her inviting pillow, which now smelled faintly of .. Johnny. He'd been sitting on her bed, talking to her bed. The young man looked down at Kathryn, glanced at the remote, and then sat in front of the bed, enthralled with the glowing, talking screen.

Thirty minutes later, after the show had gone off, Johnny crawled up onto the bed with all the stealth of a spider, and sat there, perched on the very end, watching Kathryn sleep.

How she could sleep with him in the room was an enigma to both, but somehow, she did. She must have been very tired, Johnny mused, watching how her mouth was slightly open and her hand twitched occasionally. Interesting, he mused, watching her in the semi-darkness.

xx

It was nine-thirty in the morning.

Johnny had not moved. He still sat there, looking at Kathryn, thinking about things that weren't always her but perhaps what she reminded him of instead. He glanced up at a bird chirping at the window, and he twitched.

God, he hated birds.

They were so annoying and useless. Distracted with this, he didn't realize Kathryn was slowly waking. When she opened her eyes and saw Johnny, sitting on the end of her bed and glaring at a bird through the window, she gave a shriek. Johnny fell off the bed and a series of horrible curses followed.

"Johnny! Why are you still here? It's nine thirty in the morning!" She said, sitting up and yanking off her covers. Then her eyes widened further. Footsteps. A voice. An annoying familiar voice.

"Oh, shit. My roommate!" she whispered to herself. Johnny popped up in front of her bed.

"That fucking bird is mocking me! It won't stop - "

"Johnny! If my roommate catches you in here I'll be expelled!" Kathryn exclaimed, jumping up and tripping over her blankets. Johnny stared at her. "Why?" He asked, not bothering to help. Kathryn stood and threw him an irritated look that made him flinch. Or it might have been the lack of makeup that caused him to start.

"Because you're a fucking guy and this is a girl's dorm!" She said, before her breath caught in her throat. She was close! Suddenly ripping open her closet, she shoved Johnny into it's depths and slammed the door shut.

"WHAT THE FUCK -"

"Please!" She whispered anxiously, tears forming at the corner of her eyes. "Please, Johnny, I'll get you out as soon as - "

The door swung open.

The chattering girl - What the hell was her name? Amy? Anna? - stopped at the sight of Kathryn.

"Oh. You're here." She said, shutting the door behind her and throwing her Louis Vuitton on her bed. Kathryn stared at her. "Yeah. I live here." She said, praying that Johnny would, please to God, be quiet. The closet shook a little.

Amy - Alisa? Andrea? - glanced up. "What was that?" She asked, popping in a piece of gum. Kathryn inhaled.

"Probably some books. I just stacked a whole bunch of them in there." She said, sitting on her bed. The girl bustled around the room. "Yeah, well. Whatever. I'll be bringing some people over tonight so, you might want to clear out. Not really your crowd, you know?" She asked with a sinister smile. Kathryn blanched. "But this is my room.." She protested, but the girl cut her off.

"Yeah, well, think of it as a vacation. From here. Be gone by noon, yeah thanks." She said, before turning and disappearing again.

As soon as the door closed, the closet burst open.

"If you EVER leave me in a FUCKING closet EVER again - " Johnny shrieked as soon as he was visible. Kathryn stood up and sighed, throwing her pillow down harshly and ignoring him. She began packing a bag.

"Hey. Hey. HEY! Are you even fucking listening to me?" Johnny raved, before stopping when Kathryn threw down her bag on the floor.

"Johnny, damn it, I don't have time for you! Alright? I have to pack shit." She said, opening her drawers. Johnny slammed her door shut, almost catching her fingers.

"You're actually going to listen to that Ken Fucker?! Come on! Stand up for yourself! Tell her to go fuck a goat!" Kathryn rubbed her eyes and ignored him. Johnny grabbed her and forced her to face him.

"Don't let your enemies control you.." He said quietly, and Kathryn's blank stare unnerved him. "Look, it's fine. Shit happens. I'll just go to my mom's." She said, not bothering to pull away. Johnny let go of her, pushing her roughly onto her bed. Then he picked up her bag and dumped out the contents on the floor. "You're not going anywhere! You're going to tell that bitch that you live in this fucking little room and she can take all of her 90210 friends to Hell and back!"

Kathryn jumped up.

"Damn it, Johnny! It isn't that easy! I don't care, alright? I don't care! This is the way my life goes! People push me around, people tell me what to do, and I do it. That's what happens."

"That's fucking stupid. You're contributing to the disease of ignorant society! You're blackening the world with your lack of dignity!" Kathryn scowled. "Things don't work like that, Johnny! I don't live in the same world that girl does! Her or fucking Elise." She said, and Johnny blinked at her.

"Who in the fucking hell is Elise?"

Kathryn picked up her bag, shoved her things into it, and went to her closet. "Don't worry about it.." She mumbled, before turning to Johnny. "Can you leave? I have to change." Johnny grinned. "It's nothing I haven't seen before. I watch the Discovery Channel."

A quick glare made Johnny whirl around in his place. cover his eyes, and squat into a ball. Kathryn rolled her eyes, pulling on a blue fitted tee-shirt and a pair of dark jeans. When she bade Johnny to turn around again, he did so with a twitchy twirl, before he straightened - as much as he ever did.

"I'm leaving." Kathryn moved towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"I told you. My mother's house." Kathryn paused on her way to the door. "How did you even get here? You don't have a - "

She turned around. Johnny was gone.

"Car." She finished, staring at the open window. She crossed the room, closed it quietly, and then turned, picking up her bag and leaving the room.

Peculiar fellow, that Johnny.


	5. The Present

"No, no. Press that one! THAT ONE!" "But Nny, that's not the color that lit'ted up. You got to press the color that lit'ted - " "PRESS THE RED ONE GOD DAMN IT!"

"Johnny! Can you go five minutes without cursing at a seven year old boy?" Kathryn asked, appearing in the living room. It was another dark evening on which Todd's parents, somehow, found a reason to go out - while Kathryn did not. So, where was she on yet another Friday night? Why, baby-sitting a bratty little boy - and Todd.

Johnny looked up at Kathryn and cut his eyes at her.

"He's ruining the game."

He said, pointing to the light-up music maker. Kathryn was pretty sure it was a toddler toy. "Am not!" Todd piped up, before he was scooped off the floor by Kathryn. "Dinner's ready. Go wash your hands." Todd gave a smile and did as he was told, scurrying to the kitchen sink and scrambling up onto a stool to wash his little hands. "Can I eat too?" Johnny asked, not getting up from where he was all long-limbs and joints on the floor. He looked like a pretzel, the way he was sitting. Kathryn threw her head over and pulled her hair up into a high, messy ponytail. "Don't you always?" She asked, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. "Go wash your hands."

"I already did."

"When?"

"Yesterday."

"That doesn't count. Wash your hands."

"God fucking damnit.. Washing my hands.. Fuckin' bossy bi - " "Yay! Spaghetti!"

Johnny's face lit up. "Oooh! I love spaghetti." He said, instantly silenced as he hurriedly washed his hands, sat down at the dingy table beside Todd, and began eating. Kathryn sat down with a plate of her own, but she only picked at it. After Johnny had finished eating, Todd began telling the two of them about his day at school, and how he'd played a game with his friend Pepito. "And - And he says that the Bible lies and good people go to Hell because it's funner down there." Todd finished, and Kathryn furrowed her brows. "I think you need new friends, sweetie.." She said, eating half a noodle. Todd bit his lip.

"Maybe.. but Pepito's nice to me, at least. He says he's going to save me a place."

"A place where?," Kathryn asked. "Right beside him! After I die, and I get to go live with him and his daddy." Todd gave a yawn, and Kathryn pushed her plate away.

"Come on. Bed time - "

"No. I'll do it." Johnny, who had been quiet during the past conversation, looked up from his now empty plate. He ate all the time, and Kathryn often wondered what it was that he did that kept him so sickly looking. It was probably a disorder tied into all the other shit wrong with him. Kathryn blinked and shook her head. "I don't.. I don't think so - "

"Too late." He said, with a resounded air of firmness. Then he stood, snatched Todd by the belt loop of his shorts and carried the little boy out of the kitchen and into the hall. Kathryn stared. Oh, God. What was he doing? Was he going to kill Todd? Or teach him to kill other people? Kathryn quickly put her napkin in her still full plate and hurried down the hallway quietly. She stopped and peered into the dimly lit bedroom that belonged to little Todd.

And she stopped.

There, lying safe and asleep in his bed, was Todd. Johnny was still there, sitting beside the little boy's bed on the floor, with one arm propped up on his upraised knee.

"What? Did you think I was going to do something bad?" He asked without looking at her, his quick tongue spitting out the words before Kathryn even had time to relax. She paused, then walked quietly into the room. "Well, I was just.. worried, I guess. You've never volunteered to tuck him into bed before, and I've been coming here a little over a month."

"Yeah, well. I've fucking done it before. Just not when you're here. Someone has to take care of the little shit. If his parents didn't pay for half the shit I use, I'd kill them already."

Kathryn looked away, in the baffled sort of way that people do when they're not sure what they want to look at, but they know it isn't the person they're talking to.

"Well.. Thank you. I worry about him when I'm not here - "

"Well, you don't have to. I'm here. I can fucking do anything you can." A pause.

"Except breastfeed." He added.

Kathryn sighed, annoyed. "Well, that's good to know." She said, folding her arms. She turned and left the room, and Johnny followed a moment later, speaking as they entered the living room.

"Why aren't you eating? You haven't eaten anything the past three times you've been here. I noticed, you know. I notice these things." Kathryn didn't answer. Instead, she began clearing the plates off the table and washing them in the sink. Johnny, annoyed at being ignored, tapped his foot rapidly so that it sounded like a hum. He'd be an amazing athlete, if he tried, what with speed like that.

"Well? Fine, then, fucker. If you're not going to answer that, then tell me who the fuck 'Elise' is. That's a shitty name, by the way. Elise. Shitty name."

Kathryn picked up a dishtowel and began drying dishes, not looking at him. "She was my sister." She answered finally, knowing that Johnny wasn't going to leave her the hell alone until she answered his questions.

Not that he'd ever answered a damn one of hers.

Johnny arched a brow. "Was?" He repeated, putting peculiar emphasis on the word. Kathryn tossed the dishrag onto the counter a little more harshly than needed.

"Yes, was. She died two years ago in a car accident."

"And you didn't like her?"

Kathryn frowned. "What makes you think that? She was my sister." Johnny cut her off on her way to the kitchen table. "Because you said you weren't like her, didn't want to be like her. You don't want to be like someone you don't like, right? If you liked her, you wouldn't mind being like her. Right? Right? Right." He said, gesturing with a hand. Kathryn looked up at him with her eyes, then looked away. "I guess. I mean, there was nothing wrong with her.. I just.. Well. That was the problem." Kathryn gave a bitter laugh, side-stepping him and wiping down the kitchen table. The disgust in this house was agonizing. "Oooh. I see. She was one of those perfect bitches. Like your roommate."

"Worse." Kathryn answered, leaning against the wall and raking damp hands through her tied back hair. "She was .. beautiful and bright and .. nice to everyone. My parents loved her to death, of course. She was older than me by a few years.. But even if she hadn't been, I know that she would still be better than me. She was better than everyone. That's why she was who she was. It was like she was some sort of immortal goddess." The redhead said through slightly gritted teeth.

Johnny looked thoughtful. "Well, take comfort in the fact that now you know she wasn't. After all, she died. No immortality there."

Kathryn rolled her eyes and straightened, going back to cleaning. "It's fine. It doesn't matter."

A scowl made her turn around. "You see? That's your fucking problem. You let people walk all over you like you're a fucking welcome mat at the local fucking soup kitchen. Not only do you let people do whatever they want with you, but you let shitty people do it to you. Like your bitchy roommate or your fucking mother or your perfect sister. She's fucking dead. She lost! You can redeem yourself now. She's sure as fucking hell not going to be accomplishing anything any time soon! Except being eaten by worms. Yep."

Kathryn stared at him, before walking into the living room. "I appreciate it, Johnny.. I just. I can't ever seem to find a place to start.." She admitted quietly, sitting on the couch heavily. Johnny jumped onto the couch from behind and then, with one hand, shoved Kathryn down onto the couch in a lying position. Then he picked up the remote and propped up his feet.

"UFO's: Fact or Fiction is on. Go to sleep."

"What the hell - "

"Go to sleep! I'll wake you up when Squee's fuckers get home." Click. Click. Click. He was trying to find his show.

Kathryn started to push herself into a sitting position again, but Johnny shoved her back down and pinned her there with one hand. Without even looking away from the damn television. She struggled for a second, and then sighed. She wouldn't go to sleep. He was crazy.

She'd just .. lie here.. with her cheek on a worn blue pillow..

xx

Kathryn..

Was she dreaming? No, she could feel the whisper against her ear, her hair stirring with someone's lips. She tried to focus for a short moment, and then her eyes snapped open at the sound of the front door closing. She snapped up, and looked around. It was ten o' clock, two hours after she'd put Todd to bed - or rather, Johnny had. She looked around. She was on the couch, the television was off, and Johnny was gone. Todd's parents were home. Reaching up a hand and touching her cheek, near her ear, she looked up as the dumpy looking woman and hateful looking man appeared. Standing, she said good-night and left.

xx

"This commercial is so god damn stupid. I mean, seriously. What keeps you from taking regular pop-tarts with you "on the go"? Isn't that what they're for?" Kathryn looked up from her Physics book and gave a smirk.

Johnny had a point.

She couldn't dwell on it, though. She had a huge test the next day, and a certain peculiar young man had been spending a lot of time in her dorm room, watching her television and talking. And talking. Talking when she was trying to study. She sighed, raking a hand through her board-straight hair. "I don't know how much more of this I can take." She said, glaring at the book of complicated .. bull shit."

"Well, then. Stop fucking reading it!" Johnny said, jumping up and snatching her book away. He threw it across the room and it collided with a jewelery box that was definitely not hers. The redhead buried her face in her hands. Something else of that bitch's that she was going to have to pay for. "I need it to study, Johnny!" She said, getting up and climbing over her roommate's bed to dig around the other side, before she pulled out her book. Something was stuck to it. Pulling it off, she realized what it was - and gagged, before throwing it back down. "Oh, god. I think I've contracted Syphilis."

She said, wiping her hand on the bedspread - her roommate's, not hers. Johnny made a face that similar to her own. "Fucking hurry! Live all your life's dreams before it goes to your brain and melts it." He said, looking completely serious. Kathryn threw a little pink pillow at him, and he ducked, so that it hit her television and nearly knocked it off.

"See, you would have had to pay for that."

Johnny said, pointing. Kathryn groaned and fell onto her bed, face first, so that she was slowly suffocating in her own pillow. "Come on! I want a fucking taco. Let's go get a taco." Kathryn picked up her head and peered at her clock. "Johnny, it's like nine-thirty. On a Saturday. If we don't get crushed by a drunk driver, we'll be scrutinized for, uh, not being drunk." Johnny scowled. "Fucking irrelevant! Get up, lazy ass!" He said, yanking her from her bed. Ten minutes later, after brushing her hair and throwing on a jacket, she met Johnny outside her dorm building - Somehow, he always managed to sneak up and down the walls to get in and out of her room. It was brisk. Kathryn felt like she hadn't been outside in days. They walked, in silence, for once, and passed in and out of the illuminations of street lamps around the campus. As Kathryn had predicted, there were several parties going on. They walked past a frat house, where several people were loitering outside on the stoop, and Kathryn realized her roommate was draped in the oh so enviable arms of some random guy. They each had a beer. Likely they were contributing to the artistic masterpiece that was the can pyramid just inside the open door.

"Oh, look who decided to come out of her room. Guess it would make sense. Isn't night time usually when gothic freaks come out and play?" The group tittered and one of them threw up.

It amused Kathryn that these people couldn't fathom why she hated them.

She kept on walking, but Johnny stopped. Oh, dear God.

"Excuse me? Has all that hair dye gone to your brain or are you just a fucking bitch?" The blond rose a brow and staggered to a standing position. Her football-playing dickhead boyfriend rose too, though with a little less swagger. He looked menacing to Johnny, who was, let's be honest, much smaller than him. Johnny was only about 5'7 or 5'8 , and, as previous stated, thin as a rail. He didn't look like he could inflict much damage on anyone. This guy was easily 6'2 and was obviously an athlete.

"Look, Edward Scissorhands - " She spat, taking another step towards Johnny. "You don't want to try anything with me. I've got guys that could k-kick your ass all the way from here to fuckin' - fuckin' Asia." She said, the alcohol making her stumble over her words. Johnny's right eye twitched. His hands moved to his sides, so slowly it was barely noticeable - except to Kathryn. Suddenly, both her hands were on his arms, and he looked at her, startled.

"Don't listen to her. She's a dumbass, remember? Come on, let's go get something to eat - "

"No. You may not find any fucking reason to take care of these people, but this is what I fucking live for." He said, shifting his gaze over Kathryn's shoulder. He had a deranged, hungry look on his face, and Kathryn tightened her hands on his arms. She stood on her tip toes so that she gained the few inches necessary to look into Johnny's eyes. "Please." Came the short, desperate whisper. Johnny's eyes shifted from the group of drunkards to the girl in front of him, and he stared at her for what seemed to be the longest time. He then shoved past Kathryn, walked directly up to the girl, and whispered in her ear.

She turned stark-white at his words, but she said nothing as he backed away. Then he rejoined Kathryn and, surprisingly enough, walked away with her.

Nothing was said until they got to the taco place, which was shady if Kathryn had ever seen a shady food place. And she had. Especially now.

They sat, Kathryn nibbling on her taco while Johnny finished his third one. He gave her a disapproving look.

"Fucking eat it or I'll rip off your head and shove it down your throat."

Kathryn blinked at him, and slowly, pointedly, took a large bite of her taco. Johnny, satisfied, returned to his food. Somehow, they managed to get through an entire meal without any sort of major interruption. It was strange, but Kathryn was learning how to deal with Johnny. She picked up their food and refilled their drinks so the waiter wouldn't come over and potentially piss of Johnny, inducing a homicidal rampage. She didn't talk about the people from the frat house, or about her mother. Instead, they talked about other things - Todd, Mysterious Mysteries, UFO's, kung-fu movies, and how there were most certainly sexual innuendos in every Disney movie.

"The Little Mermaid? I've never heard of that one. What's in it?"

"Are you kidding me? The preacher gets a fucking boner right in the middle of the wedding in the last scene! Fucking hilarious."

"Are you serious?" Kathryn almost choked on her food as laughter sprang from her lips. She gulped down some drink to make sure she didn't die. "I've got to re-watch it now. God. Thanks, Disney, for destroying my childhood." She said, finishing off her drink. "He just started the theme park to molest little kids! Really. He did. True story." Kathryn snickered and they stood. Johnny, who had professed that he didn't believe in tips (Where did he get his money anyway? He didn't work.), walked on as Kathryn left a five on the table. Even though the waiter hadn't done anything, for the sake of sparing his life. Shoving her hands into the pockets of her jacket, Kathryn walked alongside the slightly taller figure down the empty street.

"How do you get here?" Kathryn asked after a few moments of silence. "Do you take a cab?" Johnny looked over at her and rose both brows. "No. Cabs are for fuckers. I walk." Kathryn rose both brows. "You walk all the way here? But your house is in the next city. It's like eleven miles."

A pause.

"It takes a while."

Kathryn stared at him, before turning her gaze to the road. "Well, I could pick you up. Or at least take you home. I mean, if you ever want to hang out.. Just use Todd's phone and call me." She said, not looking at him. Johnny looked over, giving her that all-over gaze that he did when he was trying to decide if she was telling the truth or not.

"But then it wouldn't be spontaneous anymore. I like showing up when you don't expect me."

"So, you're willing to walk eleven miles just to surprise me?" She asked, grinning a bit. He must be joking. But he just stared straight ahead, taking much longer strides than her. Kathryn fell into silence for a while, looking up at the stars as she walked. Then a thought struck her.

"Johnny?"

"What?"

"Have you ever had a girlfriend?"

This made Johnny start, and he narrowed his eyes. "Why? You haven't been eating at Jimmy's Ass Meats, have you?" Kathryn rose a brow. "I'd never eat at a place with 'Ass' in the name." Johnny relaxed. "Oh, okay. Good." He said, before trotting along. Kathryn thought he might not answer, but finally, he spoke. "I think I had one. Once." He paused, kicking a can with a bit more force than necessary. "She was great." Kathryn chewed on her lip. "Oh, really? What was her name?" Johnny stomped on the can harshly.

"Dev."

"Oh. That's.. a nice name."

"Yeah, whatever. I haven't seen her in a long time."

"Why not?" Kathryn asked, as they continued on down the dark street. Johnny pulled a switch blade out of seemingly no where and twirled it in his fingers. "Because she hates me. I tried to make it so that she could never leave me." He paused. "But she kicked my ass and ran away." He finished anti-climatically. Kathryn blinked, trying not to smile. Johnny would probably be pissed if she laughed at him getting his ass kicked .. by a girl. But, then again, if Johnny had liked her - She was obviously no ordinary girl. They continued on in silence for a bit, before Kathryn glanced at her watch. Ten till eleven.

"Shit, the dorms close in ten minutes. I have to get back or they won't let me in."

"That's a fucking stupid rule! It's your dorm."

"Yeah, well, only kind of. Come on, we need to go - "

"I'm not going. I have to go back." Johnny said, staring at her before turning. Kathryn moved in front of him. "You're going to walk back in the dark? I mean, in the middle of the night? Come on, Johnny, that's not safe. It's stupid." Johnny reached up and forcibly moved her aside. Then, before he let go of her, he leaned close.

"Kathryn, I'm the only thing around here that anyone should be afraid of bumping into in the middle of the night." He said, before letting go of her. "Go back to your dorm or you'll get locked out." Kathryn opened her mouth, then shut it again. "Fine.. Good Night, then." She gave him a small wave before walking around his lithe form and going down the sidewalk. They were only two blocks away from the campus. She could make it, if she hurried. She spared a glance over her shoulder when she reached the first street.

Johnny was gone.

Shaking her head, Kathryn hurried across the street and past a series of shops. Just as she was about to pass the last one, however, a hand snatched her roughly.

"Wha - Johnny, I thought you went home!" She said to the dark, looming figure. The hand tightened and a hoarse laugh followed. Her heart constricted in fear. This wasn't Johnny - and, for perhaps the only person on this Earth - that was a frightening prospect. Before she knew it, Kathryn was completely engulfed in the pitch black of an ally between Mary's Gift Shoppe and a retail store that sold items from eBay. Hands - much larger than Johnny's - pushed her against the rough brick wall and held her there a few inches off the ground. "Well, well, sweetheart. Didn't anyone ever tell you not to travel alone at night?" There was nothing that could disguise the stench of alcohol on this man's breath. She was sure she didn't recognize the voice - This was some random man, looking for - Oh, God. What was he looking for? The answer became obvious as he moved his hand to Kathryn's jacket and began pulling the buttons from their holds.

"What the hell - LET GO OF - " A grunt as a swift punch came to Kathryn's stomach. Holy shit, it hurt. Kathryn tried to struggle but it was useless. Oh, fucking shit. This man was going to rape her. He already had her jacket pushed off and had shoved a hand up her shirt. Tears sprang to her eyes, but she couldn't yell. A dirty hand was clamped over her mouth and - Oh, God. It was futile. She was going to be kidnapped, raped, or killed. Or all three.

Just as she subjected herself to her fate and had clamped her eyes shut tight, the pressure against her was suddenly gone. A 'thud' followed, and in the dim light, Kathryn saw a flash of white. "EH - What in the fuckin' hell - " The gruff voice rang out, before it was followed by a shrill scream. Kathryn turned away and buried her face in her hands against the walls. She didn't know what was going on, where the man was - Nothing! Was she safe? Was it a companion of the attacker? Hands grabbed her from behind and she screamed, trying to pull away.

"Kathryn! KATHRYN! It's fucking me!"

Kathryn opened her eyes. They were partially on the sidewalk now - Lamp light illuminated bits and pieces of their environment.

It was Johnny.

A shaky glance over towards the ally revealed a limp arm. The rest of the body was concealed by darkness. Kathryn looked back to Johnny, who had a smear of blood on his cheek but appeared otherwise unharmed. Suddenly, with an overwhelming sense of relief and left over fear, Kathryn threw her arms around Johnny's neck.

Tears moistened the collar of his shirt, which was ripped. Johnny, bewildered, stood limply for a moment before raising up a hand and touching her back. "It's.. it's alright." He said finally, his voice strange. "He won't bother you anymore. He was just a man. Just a pathetic, lonely bastard." His hand slowly moved up to her hair, before he glanced over at the arm. It twitched. Hmm. He wasn't dead? Johnny gave a feral smirk. Well, he was about to be. He pulled away from Kathryn, took her by the shoulders, and sat her on the sidewalk facing the street.

"Where are you - "

"Just wait here. And don't fucking turn around."

".. Alright." Kathryn complied, curling her knees against her chest. Johnny walked into the dark ally and snatched up the collar of the man who was easily three times his size. He dragged him, body twitching with minimal brain activity, to the very end of the ally. He could still see Kathryn, but she wouldn't be able to see them; not in the darkness. Johnny let go of the man and pulled out four knives, two in each hand. He whistled as he worked, like a labor man working on a railroad.

"You see, you son of a bitch. Only lonely, pathetic, cock-sucking fuckers like yourself would try to rape a girl. I mean, seriously. What in the fuck?!" With that, Johnny slammed the man's right hand against the wall and drove the knife into it. The man gave a yell. "Shut up!" Johnny commanded, before calmly procuring another blade.

"Especially a girl that I happen to tolerate. Fucking stupid on your part."

Another scream as the blade went through his other hand. Now he was pinned in a standing position on the wooden paneling of the gift shop. Johnny pulled out yet another and kicked the man's legs apart. "What a dick headed thing to do." He said lightly, before shoving the blade through the man's ankle. Blood poured onto the ground.

"Now, if I trusted you, I'd pull your fucking ass out of this ally and make you apologize to her. But I don't trust you. Because you're a measly, disgusting human with disgusting habits." The final knife drove into the other ankle, making the man's legs lay spread eagle just an inch above the ground. Scarlet liquid pooled below him.

Johnny studied his artwork, before fishing around in his pocket.

"Oh, look!" He cried delightedly. "One more knife. Now, where to put it.. Where, oh where.." He eyed the man's spread legs.

"Oh, I think I know."

A blood-curdling scream made Kathryn look up, and she forced herself not to turn around. She shivered, before glancing at her watch. 11:08. God damn it. Not that she'd ever be able to sleep again. She heard water behind her - There was an outside spigot to the gift shop. She could hear water sloshing around, hitting the ground and falling into the hands of its commander. Then Johnny reappeared, sitting beside her calmly. His face and hands were wet.

He took a glance at her trembling hands and pale face, before he stretched out and leaned on his hands. He looked over at her calmly.

"You owe me five knives."


	6. The Future?

Kathryn didn't take time to fathom why in the hell Johnny was in the broom closet when she opened it. Honestly, after four months of this, she would have been more shocked by his absence. She might have even died of surprise if, by chance, Johnny didn't jump out and exclaim his need for some particularly odd and random item that he, apparently, could find no where else but poor Todd's house.

There was no shock.

"Johnny, I'm glad you're here. I need you to watch Todd while I run to the store." She stated, adjusting her denim jacket. No need to take it off. February was a damn cold month. Johnny stepped out of the closet, shut the door resolutely behind him, and arched a thin, black brow. "Hey! I'm not the one being paid to baby-sit! Why the hell should I watch him?" His left eye twitched. "Because if you do, I'll bring you back a treat," she answered, picking up her purse and eying him carefully. Todd waddled out of the hallway and eyed both of them with his rather large, doe-like eyes. He cast a suspicious look at Johnny. "Where you goin'?" He asked Kathryn, and she patted his head. "I'll be right back! I'm just going to the store to get you some juice and stuff. It'll take ten minutes. Plus, I really want a snack cake."

"You don't need a fucking snack cake."

"I'm ignoring that. Please be good until I get back. You too, Todd."

Johnny jumped up from where he'd fallen onto the couch. "Wait! I'll only watch him on one condition."

"Yes?"

"Get me some god damn bactine. These fuckers are all out!"

Kathryn stared at him, shook her head, and went to the door. "Fine. I'll be back." With that, she pulled out her car keys and stepped out of the door. Once it closed behind her with a click, Johnny and Todd slowly looked at each other.

"Go to your room."

Todd turned around and calmly waddled back to his room. Johnny plopped onto the couch and turned on the t.v. God, this baby-sitting shit was so easy!

As promised, Kathryn returned a few minutes later with two brown bags. Johnny watched her, not offering to help, but he did lurk around the kitchen to see what she bought. The redhead pulled out a six pack of little orange juices and placed them on the counter, which made Johnny twitch.

"Fuckin' hate orange juice.." He murmured, folding his thin arms. Kathryn rolled her eyes. "I know. Which is why I got - "

"GRAAAAAAAAAPEEEE JUIIIIIIIIIIICEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Johnny grabbed the little straw that went with the mini-sized carton and jammed it into the hole like a middle-aged man with his transgendered hooker. "You get my bactine?" He asked, eyeing her, waiting for her to make the mistake of not getting him something he asked for. Granted, he might forget about it in three and a half minutes, for that short time - Well, it fucking mattered.

"Yes. It's right here."

Kathryn pulled out the tube and handed it to Johnny, who snatched it, studied the label, and then happily went into the living room, where he sat on the couch and proceeded to pull his shirt over his head. Only, of course, he didn't pull it all the way off. It was on his head, like a little tent, giving him an even more ridiculous look once Kathryn came back into the living room to find him dancing around like a howler monkey.

"What.. the hell are you doing?" She asked, arching a golden-red brow. Johnny stopped in mid-motion, and Kathryn realized that he was trying to put bactine on his back. His arms were all twisted up in his shirt by now. Half the bactine was on the couch. She rubbed her eyes, then moved over. "Here.."

"No."

Johnny shifted away, not moving his twisted arms. "I can fucking do it."

"Johnny! I'm not making fun of you, look - "

"No!"

"You're never going to reach it like that." Kathryn said, exasperated.

Logic, which was definitely not a huge factor in Johnny's life, won out. He plopped on the couch, with his front facing her. Foot tapping. He shifted around reluctantly so that she could sit on the couch behind him, so she did. And what she saw made her stop in mid-motion.

He didn't have one cut. He had a million.

None too deep, some looking much older than the raised, blushing ones he was trying to manage today. Clearing her throat a bit, Kathryn squeezed out some of the cream and drew it down one particularly long scratch. When she reached the end of it, she curled her fingers slightly, and she realized that many of these cuts and scratches looked like fingernail marks. Her brows furrowed, and she glanced over Johnny's shoulder to see if he was watching her. He wasn't. He was staring straight ahead. Kathryn swallowed and started with some more cream, which made Johnny wiggle.

"Fuckin' cold.." He muttered darkly, and a faint smile spread across her lips. Finally, when she was done and Johnny had pulled down his shirt again, she met his wild gaze.

"Should I even ask?"

Johnny shifted, then gave what might have been a smirk. It was more than a little discomforting.

"No.

You shouldn't."

xxx

the previous day

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

"Oooh! Wonderful! I see you're all .. awakening." He shut the door behind him with a resolute thud. The torture instruments hanging on the walls gave a rattle. Three pairs of eyes stared at him. None that these pairs belonged to were able to speak. All of these .. guests ... had gags in their mouths. That is gags soaked in human blood.

HIV Positive blood, if Johnny C. had found the right bottles.

Not that it would matter in the long run. It just made him a little happier on the inside.

The blond gave a cough, and Johnny's sharp vision turned to her as his hands wrapped around her bleached hair. Her chin forcibly thrust in the air, her scalp brushing something that felt cold and sharp. "Look at you. Fuckin' crying. Worthless." He let go of her and pointed a single digit in her direction. It was faint in the basement room, but she could still see it, and it made her blue eyes widen and water even further.

"You see.. You could have been spared. You could be on your way to living right now. But, no.. You had to go and be an obnoxious, conformist, cock-sucking whore with absolutely nothing in your life going for you except your sunless tan and your fake tits. I don't want the future to be like you. So - as my own personal gift to the universe - I'm getting rid of you." A quick pat to her head, and then he leaned close.

"I told you I'd come back for your heart.." He whispered venomously. And what day was more appropriate, Johnny thought to himself. February 14th. The real Fool's Day.

Johnny moved to the next person, bound in a bent, painful position that left the prisoner's neck and back aching.

"And you.. Well, you just had to be her lackey, didn't you? What did you get out of it, fucker? Sex? Try a hooker next time. The pay all evens out in the end.

And that way? Well, you wouldn't have to die right now, would you?"

The last person squirmed. Johnny's gaze flickered over to her.

"Why in the hell are you even here? I can't remember to be honest." He straightened, tapped his chin, and seemed to contemplate this. The pair of eyes, belonging to a brunette woman in a business suit, appeared hopeful. Suddenly, the deranged man thrust a hand into the air.

"OH! NOW I REMEMBER!" He shrieked, before snatching the rope that bound the woman's hand. He began to drag her across the wet floor.

"You put six lumps of cream in your coffee at Mocha Plaza."

A squeal. The woman looked up at him in disbelief, her mouth trying to work around the blood-soaked rag. Johnny eyed her. "Really. Stop at four. It's not even fucking coffee anymore after that!" The he thrust her against the wall, yanked up a nail gun, and took aim. POW! Once in the leg. Twice in the chest.

He stepped closer, a grin stretching onto his face. The other two guests watched in horror as they were splattered with this woman's life.

Once in the ankle. Johnny stood right in front of her, the twitching corpse pressed against his once-white walls.

"Six nails for six lumps of cream!" He exclaimed shrilly. Then he put a projective nail in each of her lovely green eyes.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

Johnny threw the nail gun aside, grabbed the woman by the hair and yanked her body off the wall. The limbs and skin still attached by the nails gave a sickening rip. Part of her scalp came off with the right eye nail. He cast her body aside, concluding he could drain it of its blood later. He still had more fun work to do.

He stopped by the jock, propped him up right, and reached into a dark closet. Then he pulled out a guillotine - on wheels. It rolled out, rather like a vacuum cleaner might. Johnny then pushed the contraption over to the young man and shoved him against it. Then, Johnny snatched his the young athlete's hand, shoved it under the guillotine, and snatched the rope.

"Mmmph! Nnnpph!"

Desperate pleas for mercy. Johnny yawned and yanked the rope.

One hand gone. Nothing but a stub, bone, and pouring blood and tissue left. The girl screamed. So did the boy. Johnny grabbed his other hand and put it in the same place. Blood from his own body stained the young man's wrist.

"What's behinnnnnddd.. DOOR NUMBER FUCKING TWO!"

Snap.

Another painful, loud scream. Johnny sighed. "Not a full hand. SORRY!" He exclaimed, grinning ferally. The young man was crawling around on his knees and bleeding nubs, crying and screaming. Johnny looked over at the hysterical blond girl, and crouched in front of her. Then he reached out and grabbed her blindfold, ripping it off so that the blood that had come out trickled from her mouth. Tears mixed with it and made a puddle on the floor.

"I'm sorry. What was that?" He asked calmly, inspecting a fingernail.

"You fucking bastard! You're fucking insane! What in the fucking hell is fucking wrong with you?!" She screamed, in what might have been the most obnoxious, shrill, annoying voice Johnny had ever heard in his literally God forsaken life. Johnny arched a thin black brow. "Wrrrooong with me? Why, nothing. It's you that's poisoning the world. You're infecting everyone with your STUPID!" He shrieked, before standing and looking at the pale, twitching, handless body of her boyfriend.

Johnny looked back at her, picked up a machete, and held it in his left hand.

"In your next life... I would advise you to find a better beau. Lest you reach another end.. Like this." And with that, he sliced the boy's neck open. The loud gasp-sob that escaped the blond irritated him, so he cut her straight across her mouth. She screamed, which only fueled the pain in her stretched and cut skin. Her lips were permanently stained red.

No more need for lipstick, Johnny thought.

"SHUT UP! SHUT THE FUCK UP! GOD! I AM SO FUCKING TIRED OF HEARING YOU FUCKERS SCREAM ALL THE GOD DAMN TIME!"

Johnny whipped around, threw the machete aside, and stepped over the corpse. Meanwhile, the blond had managed to struggle out of her bindings. She jumped up, running at full speed but tripping over the dead body of the woman. She snatched ferociously at Johnny and caught the back of his shirt. Her nails tore into the fabric and he wiggled out of it to escape her grasp.

He looked surprised. Then he recovered. He grinned at her, as the blond panted heavily, throwing his shirt down. Blood poured from her lips.

"I'll kill you." She growled, with a tenacity that fully inspired Johnny. It made him almost proud, in a way.

"Well?

Then fucking do it." he challenged, standing very still. There was a long moment in which nothing moved. Then she sped off, dropping to the ground and sliding just past him. Then she grabbed his leg, pulled her self up and drug her nails into his skin like a damn crazed cat. Johnny gave a howl, before he closed his hands around a nearby flat-head hammer and slammed her in the face. She fell, blood gushing from her head, to the already wet floor. The young entrepreneur of death inspected himself in a mirror. Mm. She got him good.

"Fuckin' crazy!" He murmured appreciatively, before pulling on his shirt again, picking up the hammer, and proceeding to obliviate her skull into small, bite-size pieces.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Diiing. Diiing. Diiing. Diiing. Diiing. Diiing. Diiing.

"MYSTERIOUS MYSTERIES!"

Work could wait.

xxx

"Johnny!"

Kathryn ripped open the window. Johny was there, perched on her window sill (and yet she still couldn't imagine how he got to the fourth floor of a dormitory). He stepped inside casually, his oddly cut black hair looking particularly peculiar that day. "Ooh. Skittles." He picked up the bag beside her bed and sat on the edge, eating several candies at a time. Kathryn ran her hand through her hair. God damn it. This wasn't a trick anymore. She stared at Johnny, wondering if he would notice the lack of things on the right side of the bedroom. He didn't seem to. He just stared at her, working his mouth over the multi-flavored candy. Kathryn swallowed, stared at him, then the wall, then the rug, then him again.

"Do you know what happened to Alisa?"

Johnny blinked, looking earnestly confused. "Who?" He asked through a mouthful of Skittles. Kathryn gestured wildly. "My roommate! Her name was Alisa and no one can fucking find her and she's been missing for two weeks!" She spat, and Johnny finally swallowed the candy. "Oh! Her. Yeah." He said simply, putting more sweets in his mouth. Kathryn reached forward and snatched the bag, putting it aside.

"Johnny." She said, forcing him to meet her gaze.

He looked at her, undaunted, meeting her gaze with no trouble at all. Not even the slightest bit of guilt or remorse ran across his eyes. Of course, Kathryn didn't know that he had done anything to Alisa (Honestly, she hadn't known her name the whole semester) or the missing boy, Alisa's boyfriend. Brad Stirwell.

"..Well? What happened?"

"How the fuck am I supposed to know?!"

The redhead sighed, and Johnny took the candy back. "Besides," He continued, shoveling twenty-seven more Skittles into his mouth. "Why should you even care? They were both fuckers. And that girl made you miserable."

Kathryn studied him, arms folded across her chest. her hair was down, laying over a grey hoodie with her college logo on the front. It was about as school spirited as she got. Besides, it was comfortable.

"Because, Johnny. She was - I mean, she is a person. She's just .. you know. A bitchy person." Kathryn sat beside him on the bed and pushed her hair behind her ears. "Sorry.." She mumbled. "I didn't mean to accuse you. I just .. I don't know. I figured you might know what happened." Johnny swallowed the wad of sugar and food coloring. "I don't eve live in this fucking town. Why would I know?" He asked, eyes intent on the tiny print that scattered the red package. Then he tossed it aside carelessly. 800 more calories wouldn't hurt him much.

"I don't -"

"I wonder if Ghost Hunters is on." Johnny flicked on the television and Kathryn sighed, wondering how he could even carry on a conversation after the mind-numbing power of 24 hour television viewing. She crawled down beside Johnny, the both of them sitting in front of her bed, not even a foot from the small television. It was on, of course. Johnny was like a human T.V. Guide. It was a good show, one of Kathryn's favorites, but she found her attention wandering. Johnny's eyes didn't so much as move from the glowing screen. Frustrated, both with him and herself, she shifted for the first time in an hour and a half.

"I'm.. going to bed, okay? Good night." She said quietly, and Johnny's eyes glanced over to her, for just a moment, before looking away again. Kathryn watched him. That crazy bastard. There was something wrong with him. That was undeniable. He obviously didn't have a family. He lived in a house that looked like hell warmed over. He looked like he never ate a damned thing (even though she knew he did).

And he never, ever, ever, fucking slept.

None of these reasons added up to her next actions. In fact, they far subtracted from it. Reason was abstract now. It was nothing like the solid, material matter that people so like to make it seem. It was like liquid. And, of course, liquid cannot be contained in anything with even the slightest gap. The tiniest hole. The least little flaw.

And Kathryn had a lot of those.

So, perhaps it was more than logical what she did, which was to lean over and kiss Johnny's cheek. His eyes didn't move from the screen, but his body certainly reacted. he rigid, his mouth opened slightly as if in surprise, and he inhaled quietly. Kathryn paused for only a moment, then stood quickly to scramble into the safety of her bed. Of course, Johnny was faster. He always was.

With a quick, rabbit-like spring from the floor, Johnny lept on top of her and pinned down her shoulders with his long fingers.

"What in the hell did you do that for?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. His tone was its usual, high-pitched hiss, but it didn't sound particularly angry. At least, Kathryn didn't think so. Hoped. Pray.

A quick swallow. "I - I don't know.." She answered honestly. "I guess it's just the sort of thing you do when you have feelings for someone." Well, God smite her. She had nothing to live for anyway. Johnny's look of surprise was unmistakable. Then he narrowed his eyes and leaned close.

"You .. are .. an idiot .. " He whispered.

Her heart thudded against her chest so hard it hurt, but her face remained composed. "I think that was established when we first met. But .. then again .. repetition is the key to learning." She answered in a stoic whisper, eyes blinking far more than usual. When he didn't respond, she lifted up her arms and pressed her fingers lightly on his chest - it was the highest place she could reach without really moving her arms, which he seemed keen to disallow her from doing.

Finally, he spoke.

"Is this what normal people do?" He asked, his voice almost tiny. Kathryn took a deep breath and lifted her eyes to his again. "Yeah." She conceded, her fingers bunching just a tiny bit in his shirt. "But not even a quarter of them really mean it."

"Mean it? What's it supposed to mean?"

Kathryn looked contemplative. Then she gave a wry smile. "I don't even really know, to be honest. I guess .. just .. Affection. Longing. Peace."

"Sleep?"

She stopped in her thoughts and stared at him. Sleep? Had he just said 'sleep'? He certainly looked perfectly serious, and Kathryn wondered if sleep was that thing that escaped him. The same way inner-peace did her. "If that's what you really want.. then yes. Sleep. Rest. If someone can bring you that with just a kiss... Well, then it means something. Get it?" She asked, but she barely got to finish her sentence before her words died on his lips. He still had her shoulders with his hands. His body was elevated, not pressed against her, seeking undue frictional release like most males. But, she noticed during her moment of shock in which her eyes remained open, his own were closed. His shoulders weren't as taut as usual. And, when she closed her eyes and brought a hand up to his jaw, his skin was softer than she had imagined.

Was this really happening? Was this the same man who had thrown an ax at her head, killed a man just feet away from her, and done other unknown but equally terrifying things? Because it didn't feel like she had imagined kissing him - or anyone - would. It felt nice, even though it was obvious that he didn't do such a thing often.

Kathryn had just tilted her head up, pressed her lips more firmly and felt his do the same when he suddenly pulled away.

He was off the bed and out the window before Kathryn could even say his name.

xx


	7. And It All Ends Here

There were very few things Kathryn wanted out of life. After all, she was completely comfortable living in the formidable shadow of her near-perfect sister. People like that don't ask for much. Kathryn wanted only to live, be happy, and to take care of others whenever possible. All of these things, however, seemed to escape her. It was such a pity.

They were, after all, so very simple things.

It had been a week since that day that Johnny had up and disappeared from her dorm room. Kathryn headed over to Todd's house that weekend, fully intent on seeing Johnny there, as she always did. Well, he certainly couldn't avoid her forever, she thought stubbornly. Once she pulled up to Todd's house, her eyes immediately went to Johnny's. It looked much the same as it always did, slightly lop-sided and with the holy number on the front door, standing there with just as much mockery as a Baptist on the Jerry Springer show. Shifting and pulling up her purse, Kathryn stepped to the front door, her eyes set in the determined fashion that her mother so unthinkingly called 'masculine' but was actually just a form of independent thinking that people like her mother didn't partake in more often than picking a shade of lipstick. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Kathryn knocked rapidly on the front door. It opened with a slow creak.

She stepped inside, frowning as she saw Todd sitting on the floor. He had Schmee beside him. He hadn't played with Schmee in a long time.

"Todd, where're you parents?" She asked, concern lacing her tone as she knelt down beside him and scooped him up. She knew he would forget how to talk in time because of how much she held him, but dear God, someone had to show the kid some affection. Todd rubbed his running nose on the back of his hand.

"They left.. Long time ago. Been gone allll day.." Kathryn's brows furrowed. "They didn't call me? For God's sake.." She murmured, shaking her head and putting him on the couch. "Well, didn't Johnny come over to keep you company?"

Todd looked up suddenly.

"No. Nny's been in his house all week! He won't come out. I don't know whatsa' matter!" Todd exclaimed, looking thoroughly perplexed and miserable. Kathryn frowned again at this. God, what was going on? Todd's parents - Well, alright. That wasn't that unusual. They were neglectful bastards with no purpose in life except to take up valuable space and oxygen. That was nothing new. But Johnny? Where was he?

Todd looked up at her, blinking owlishly. "I haven't even heard no noises from his house! Where is he? I think something happened to him, Kathryn.." He said, lower lip trembling. The redhead bent in front of him, kissed the top of his head, and straightened. "How about I go and check on him, alright? You just wait here and I'll be right back." When she turned around to head towards the door, Todd grabbed her hand in his own little one.

"Promise you'll come back, Kathryn. Promise!"

His voice was so urgent, so desperate for the acceptance of his proposal. Kathryn nodded, looking down at him strangely. "Of course. I always come back, don't I, Todd? I'll be back, I promise you."

Promises are so hard to keep, Kathryn. Why did you make them?

She stepped outside. By this time, it was completely dark outside. Nothing illuminated the earth save for sparse stars that seemed even brighter tonight than usual. No light came from Johnny's house, though that wasn't especially unusual. Very seldom had Kathryn seen light of any kind in the several windows on his house. Once outside, she hesitated. He'd almost killed her once for even coming near his house. What if he caught her? Well, wasn't that the intention? Didn't she need to find him?

Kathryn drew in a breath to a chest, reached up a hand, and pushed open the front door. Like Todd's, it swung open with an agonizing creak. She stepped inside, pressing it closed behind her. Apparently, that was a bad idea. The living room - or whatever the hell it was - was pitch black. Fishing around in her purse, Kathryn pulled out the little pen light she used to read at night. The circle of light beamed out from it's battery-operated depths and spotlighted a dark wood floor. More scanning. A grubby looking couch. A television with - Well, he was telling the truth - a huge hole in it. A coffee table with crumbs of some sort on it. But no Johnny.

So, Kathryn crept forward.

A kitchen? Well, she didn't look too much in there. God only knows what she'd find.

She moved forward, through the hallways. God, it was so dark. Her little light barely made her path walkable. Every time she looked upon the walls with her light, she regretted it. Stains - so dark, like old dried ink - all over the wall. Holes. Hand prints. Dirt. More fingernail marks. Kathryn paused to run her own nails down one of the morbid paths, but just as she did, a clattering sound made her jump and look up.

"What in the .. fucking.. hell ..?" She muttered, her brows furrowing and her body tensing immediately.

"Johnny?" She called finally. How big could this house be? He had to hear her.

"Johnny? It's Kathryn. Hey, are you here?" She continued walking down the hall, trembling legs leading her in the direction of the sound. "Hey! Look, Todd was just worried and I hadn't seen you in a while.. So, I, you know.. Just thought I'd check up - "

THUD.

THUD.THUD.

With every groan that sounded the house suddenly burst into life. Every light in the house came on, ringing with a loud, echoing 'thud' as if the breakers were being manually thrown from somewhere else in the house.

Kathryn gasped and turned around, dropping her pen light and letting it roll under a nearby desk. When she looked around at the previously hidden room, her heart dropped into her stomach, her mouth opened, and her eyes widened to impossible lengths.

Pictures.

Everywhere. All over the walls, the floor, the table. And they were all of her. 8x10's, all of them, clear as day, some very close and some very far. In every one of them, Kathryn was unaware that her picture was being taken. She was even asleep in some of them. Asleep at Todd's. Asleep in her dorm. Walking outside Todd's house. Brushing her hair in the living room. Kathryn whirled out, her breathing come out in a high-pitched pants. No matter where she looked, the entire room was covered with portraits of her. There were even some of her in her pajamas, sitting on her bed, reading or studying.

Through her window. From her closet. From the dorm building roof.

Kathryn turned and sprinted out of the room, nearly colliding with the hallway wall. She turned, unsure of which way to go, so she simply began running at full speed. A dead end. God. She turned, pulling open a door and running into a windowless room. Her hands glided across the walls to keep from tripping, and as they did, they suddenly became wet. Kathryn jerked up her hand to look at her and shrieked.

Blood.

Blood, all over her hands. Tears blinded her eyes as she opened another door, kept running, another door and more running and another door and it was like she was slipping willfully into the depths of Hell.

Stairs. She found stairs, and she ran down them, but she slipped in a sticky liquid. A few steps came at her like speeding bullets and she tumbled down the end of the stairs, landing on a cold, wet ground in a dark room.Groaning, she slowly pushed herself up. Her wrist ached and she was completely .. covered .. in blood. Blood, all over the floor. Kathryn gave another scream and scrambled into a standing position, before stumbling backwards and grabbing onto the nearest thing for support.

Her fingers tensed around the object and her eyes widened in horror. Slowly, she turned her head around to see a disembodied head, half-ripped and still bleeding.

Kathryn took in a lung full of air simply to scream at the top of her lungs, but a hand clamped over her mouth before she'd managed it for more than two seconds, and it yanked her aside, before tossing her towards the light in the corner of the room.

Kathryn stared at the figure as it stepped into the illumination.

"Johnny!" She exclaimed, her brows furrowed as she stared miserably at the thin man. She wanted so desperately to wipe away her tears, but she knew it would only spread the blood on her hands to her face.

"Johnny.. What .. What in the hell..?" She asked, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment. Johnny stared at her for a moment, then took a step forward. Kathryn took an equal one back, and Johnny smirked a bit.

"What? Are you afraid of me now, Kathryn?"

"No. If you wanted to kill me.. You would have done it already. You had the chance." She sounded more confident than she felt.

"Interesting."

Johnny reached out, grabbed a chair, spun it and sat in it backwards. He waved a hand. "Pull up a God damn seat." Because, you see, only Johnny could incorporate cursing into his hospitality.

Kathryn glanced at a chair, wondered who had died in it, and then pulled it up in front of Johnny. She sat in it, fighting back tears still, and crossed her legs at the knee. The black haired man watched her. "So. You've come in search of me, have you?" He asked, raising a brow. Kathryn forced herself to look up and meet his gaze. "I was worried about you - "

"That's sweet. But that's not the truth. You came because you wanted to see why I ran off. Am I right? You wanted to see if I had found this 'meaning' that you spoke of."

Kathryn didn't blink.

"Well?" She asked, and her voice gave a strange tremble. "Did you?"

Johnny leaped forward, hurdling the back of the chair and suddenly standing within an inch of Kathryn's gaze. There was silence. And then -

"I did."

Then he pulled away, quick as a flash, and began rummaging around in some boxes. He threw things over his shoulder, cursing and muttering until he found what he needed. Kathryn couldn't see what it was. She didn't care. Instead, she stood up and walked over to him, careful to avoid head trauma due to random flying objects. Johnny stood up quickly, moving over to a box full of items that he glanced at and then threw over his shoulder.

"Johnny, what are you doing?" She asked, perplexed. Her heart raced and she could hear blood rushing in her ears. Turning his lithe body suddenly, Johnny faced her again and reached up a hand. Flinching, the girl pulled away. Johnny was faster, of course. He snatched her arms and held tightly onto her for a desperate moment in which nothing was said at all.

Then he held up a match.

"Hold onto this, will you?" He asked, and though his tone was quiet, it was as if he was screaming it into her mind, for it was all she could hear.

Suddenly he moved away and ran out of the room, jumping across bodies and torture devises that were placed in his way. Kathryn glanced around the dark room slowly and felt a vile-tasting liquid rise up in her throat. "I've got to get out of here.." She murmured, but no sooner had she darted to the door that Johnny reappeared. He dropped an unmarked can on the floor with a soft 'clink'.

"Where were you going, Kathryn?" He asked, his voice slow and quiet. The red-haired girl stared at him, her lips parted in disbelief for a moment, before she looked at the match in her hand and raised it between them. When she met Johnny's gaze, he spoke again.

"There's nothing left for you out there.."

_Hiss. _

He held up his match to hers, and a flicker later they were both lit. Kathryn glanced up at the eyes newly illuminated across from her. With a swallow, she took one last glance at the window, and dropped the match.

xxx

"This is Kate Balt, reporting for WDIB News 28. I am on the scene at a devastating house fire that is proving to be troublesome for local fire fighters, all of whom agree this is the strangest house fire they have ever seen! What's so strange you might ask? Well, as you can see behind me, the flames are high and the fire can NOT be quenched, no matter the water power used by the fire department. Even more strangely, it seems that, despite the close proximity of the houses surrounding number 777, the flames are not so much as scalding any of the surrounding buildings at all! It's as if Hell itself has opened up underneath this house -

Hold on. Hold, on. What's that? Yes, we just have had confirmed reports that there are actually two people still inside the burning home! A young couple - Oh, there they are! Steve, get the camera on that! There they are! Wha - It looks - It looks like they're not even attempting to escape! They're simply standing there, in the window on the second story! What a grotesque picture this paints for the occupants of the house. They are obviously so distraught with terror that they can't even move!

Fire fighters are trying their hardest to get inside, but - What's that? The doors are barred! The firefighters can NOT get inside! Well, it looks like it's this young couple's unlucky day.. "

"Reports say the fire started at approximately 7:45 p.m. .. Hey! Someone get that little boy away from the fire!"

"Oh my God. Steve, did get that? GET THE CAMERA ON THAT! The house is actually collapsing now, into a fiery ruin. Where are the two young people still inside? There's certainly no way they could have made.. An ill-fated day for two teenagers in the WDIB 28 broadcasting area..

Truly a sad event. Well, don't forget to watch Everybody Loves Raymond! Coming up next."

Click.

xxx - Ten years later

Scrape. Click. Thud.

Scrape. Click. Thud.

Scrape. Click. Thud.

"What.. What're you planning on doing with that?"

The man who spoke was a simpleton, a harmless middle-aged man that had had the unfortunate fortune of wandering down the street at 11:34 p.m. on a Tuesday night.\

This was always, always the time to be most on your guard. What with dangerous people lurking around and all.

More noises. The man looked increasingly nervous. He hadn't done anything at all! He'd simply been coming home late from work.. walking to his car. What was he to think of being mauled, dragged several feet, and then locked in a dark room? Honestly, his days were usually a little better than THIS, if not simply Brady Bunch wonderful. But that didn't seem to phase his attacker at all. Even ridiculous, feminine crying and begging hadn't helped! What was this person? Some kind of maniac?

"Hey! I'm talking to you! What the hell are you planning on doing to me?" He growled.

Shrill laughter made him stop. He looked at the thin silhouette of the man who had somehow managed to subdue him.

"It's not what I'm planning to do, my dear sir." The voice said. "It's what I'm DOING!" The last word was accentuated by a high-pitched tone, shrill with delight. The man wondered about the words, until he looked down - and realized this deranged person had been dragging a homemade killing machine across the floor. It was already stationed over his tied up body - naught but a bed of spikes, hovering just feet over his head now that it was securely placed in the ropes. The man gasped and looked up at the daunting metal, sharpened to a deadly point.

"What! NO, no! Please, I beg you.. Please! I'll do whatever you want!"

"Eugh. Disgusting. I don't want anything from you, pathetic human. I just wanted to see your face when I did THIS - "

Slam.

The young, dark-haired lad yanked his hand down on a lever nearby, but the bed of spikes didn't fall on the man's head. The victim stared up at it, then breathed a sigh of relief.

"Whew. Your little trap didn't wo - " Gurgle. A harpoon shot from the back of the room, just past the young man and into the prisoner's shoulder, very near his heart.

More shrill laughter. "Ah-ha!" A pause. He pointed at the man.

"See, I tricked you."

Gasps of pain escaped the miserable, dying man. "This.. this is crazy.. H-How could you.. do this?" He asked, and really, it was nice of him. To use his last, dying breath to ask about his dear, humble murderer. The young man suddenly gave a grin so wide that it seemed to stretch off his face, and he wrapped his fingers around a nearby rope. Oh! So here was the spike bed cord.

"Well.. We had a good teacher!

Didn't we, Schmee?"

YANK.

xxx

/end.


End file.
